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Sean Winter Wins Poker Masters Finale for $620,000 as Adrian Mateos Claims Purple Jacket
Sean Winter saved his best for last at the 2026 Poker Masters, taking down Event #10: $51,000 NLH for $620,000 after defeating Sam Laskowitz heads-up at the PokerGO Studio in Las Vegas.
Winter came into the final day third in chips among the seven remaining players and worked his way through a final table that featured several big coolers, a tense money bubble and the conclusion of the Purple Jacket race.
While Winter walked away with the biggest prize of the tournament, Adrian Mateos had plenty to celebrate too. The Spaniard was officially crowned the 2026 Poker Masters Purple Jacket champion after Jeremy Ausmus, the last player capable of catching him, was eliminated in fourth place.
Speaking to PokerNews after his victory, Winter revealed that taking a break during the series had helped him rediscover his best game.
"I felt pretty locked in this tournament," Winter said. "A couple other tournaments I wasn't feeling the sharpest. I wasn't executing how I wanted to, and so I took an event off, the 15K, to just reset, and I think it worked out."
Event #10: $51,000 NLH Payouts
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sean Winter | United States | $620,000 |
| 2 | Sam Laskowitz | United States | $387,500 |
| 3 | Igor Yaroshevskyy | Ukraine | $248,000 |
| 4 | Jeremy Ausmus | United States | $170,500 |
| 5 | Marius Gierse | Austria | $124,000 |
A Brutal Day of Coolers
There was little time for the seven returning players to settle in before the first major confrontation of the day. Dan Smith ran ace-king into Chris Brewer's pocket aces in a huge early cooler, leaving himself with work to do.
Smith was unable to recover and became the first player eliminated after his ace-eight ran into ace-queen, setting up the six-handed money bubble.
Brewer has endured more than his fair share of painful bubbles and coolers over the years, and unfortunately for him, another was waiting.
He first ran pocket kings into aces in a massive six-bet pot, before committing his remaining chips with ace-jack against Ausmus' pocket aces. There was no escape for Brewer, who departed empty-handed in sixth place.
With everyone now guaranteed a payday, the remaining five players were tightly bunched in chips, and nobody seemed particularly willing to give an inch.
Start-of-day chip leader Marius Gierse had already taken a significant hit against Winter on the bubble. He briefly recovered, but his tournament came to an end when he ran top pair and a gutshot straight draw into Laskowitz's pocket queens, finishing fifth.
Ausmus Falls Short as Mateos Wins Purple Jacket
The biggest storyline away from the tournament title was the Purple Jacket race, with Ausmus needing a top-two finish to overtake Mateos in the standings.
With four players remaining, Ausmus was still in contention, but his challenge ended in a blind-versus-blind confrontation with Winter.
Ausmus committed his stack with pocket fives against Winter's ace-king. The flop kept his pair ahead, but an ace on the turn put Winter in front, and another ace on the river confirmed Ausmus' fourth-place exit.
That was the result Mateos had been waiting for. He had built a sizable lead earlier in the series, including a victory in Event #5, but failed to cash in any of the final three tournaments. He could only watch as his closest challengers tried to catch him.
"I had a big lead all the way, but in the last three events I wasn't able to cash, so the sweat was real," Mateos said shortly after Ausmus' elimination.
Mateos' Purple Jacket victory came despite an extraordinary five stone bubbles in ten tournaments, a run of near misses that he described as "completely unbelievable."
Winter Denies Laskowitz in Heads-Up Battle
With the Purple Jacket settled, three players remained in contention for the $620,000 first-place prize.
Igor Yaroshevskyy, who had failed to cash in any of the previous nine events, finally got on the board in the series finale. His run ended in third place after another cooler against Winter.
Yaroshevskyy flopped bottom two pair, but Winter had flopped Broadway, the ace-high straight. The chips went into the middle on the turn, and Yaroshevskyy was unable to improve.
That left Winter and Laskowitz heads-up for the title, with Winter holding the advantage.
Laskowitz was the underdog at the start but needed just four hands to draw level. However, he could never quite get his nose in front, and Winter gradually began to pull away.
The final hand was another cooler. Laskowitz flopped top pair, but Winter had connected even better with two pair. The chips went in on the turn, and a harmless river card sealed the victory for Winter.
Winter and Laskowitz are friends, although the eventual champion admitted they hadn't actually played heads-up against each other despite regularly competing in the same tournaments.
"I've never played heads-up against him," Winter said. "I respect his game and I know he has heads-up experience, so I was expecting a battle."
Winter's Poker Instincts Pay Off
Winter has developed a reputation for making some remarkable reads at the table, often appearing to know exactly where he stands in difficult situations.
Asked where that ability comes from, the American admitted he wasn't entirely sure.
"I really have no idea," he said, explaining that he had always possessed a strong sense of intuition, even as a child.
He believes that instinct has been particularly valuable in helping him avoid expensive situations where other players might lose their entire stacks.
"Sometimes the variance isn't going your way, and when I have some feels of getting away from spots I'm supposed to go broke, it's worth a lot."
As for what's next, Winter was less certain. While many of his fellow high-stakes regulars are preparing for upcoming stops in Cyprus and the Bahamas, he hasn't committed to either trip.
"I don't know. I really don't," Winter said. "I like being around my family, so I hate to be so far away."
For now, Winter can enjoy his $620,000 payday and the satisfaction of closing out the 2026 Poker Masters with a victory.
That concludes PokerNews coverage of the 2026 Poker Masters. Thank you for following the coverage, and catch you at the next one.